Flaming Ground
by Kereea
Summary: Zuko has an old friend who he runs into, and she'll help him catch the avatar. Not so sure about instant ZukoxOC, but definite BLueSpiritxOC.
1. Chapter 1

Meesa no own avatar the last airbender

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Prologue

Four years ago, in the Fire Nation, there was a young Earthbenderwho had been handed to the Fire Lord with the promise that she wouldn't be harmed and that the other earthbenders in her town would not be protected.. She had one friend, Prince Zuko. The prince's sister, Princess Zula, did not approve, and lied about the earthbender to her father. Two years after she had come, the earthbender had come, she was sent from the Fire Nation. She left two days before her friend's greatest tragedy. The Agni Kai. Now, believing that the boy she knew is gone, she wanders the Earth Kingdom, a wandering girl named Canoi.

1

As always, the Craven Bar in the earth kingdom was doing good business. Suddenly, a man rushed in panting. He yelled, "Firebenders sighted of the west shore; it's a small ship, but it could still hold over thirty men!"

Kauri, the barkeeper, turned to a guest, "You should get out of here, young earthbender. I'd hate to see one so good fall into Fire Nation hands."

The girl growled, "Fire Nation," and grabbed her bag and stalked out. Kauai sighed, 'That one's got a particular chip on her shoulder when it comes to the Fire Nation. All I can get out of her is that one of her friends was destroyed by the Fire Lord himself. Must have been an important friend.'

The girl ran through the woods, changing her outfit as she did so. Her light grey and dark green swapped themselves with black and pale brown, and she tied a black cloth around her head so the only her eyes and hair were visible. She swept her long brown ponytail up into a bun, and to complete her look, pulled on a trophy, the shoulder and breastplates of Fire Nation armor, painted in Earth Kingdom colors. She had become The Shadow, one of the best thieves in the world.

'Except for the Blue Spirit,' she thought, 'that guy really deserves the title King of Thieves, even if he stole it from me! After all, I've never done anything like snatch the avatar right out from under an admiral's nose! That is true thievery!'

She gently hopped up a slope, using earthbending to get to the farther ledges, and sat down at the top. She looked at the town, the Fire Nation ship didn't seem to be causing any trouble, so she pulled out two wanted posters fro her sack. One was her own, two thousand gold pieces for her capture. The other was of the Blue Spirit, at ten thousand gold pieces.

'Wow, some rich guys want him dead,' she thought. She created a closed room from rock and changed back into her normal clothes, 'After all, I don't think they're bender hunters,' she thought, 'and my wanted poster says I'm a bender anyway. May as well fake being a stupid girl.'

Within moments, The Shadow had transformed into her not-so-mild-mannered alter ego, a girl by the name of Canoi.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Prince Zuko was cheesed off. Nobody in this town had seen the avatar for weeks, but a few crazy old guys had said that the kid might be hiding in the mountains. Then just as he was about to tell his men that they should leave, he saw a girl stare at them, then run up towards the woods.

'She's warning the avatar!' he thought and yelled, "Lieutenant Ji, come with me, the rest of you try to find my uncle, check the market, and tell him where I am!"

As he and Ji ran through the trees, after the girl, Zuko was sure that they must be close to catching the avatar. Suddenly, the girl vanished. He held up his hand, and Ji stopped.

"Check around," he muttered, "She's here somewhere, and can most likely tell us where the avatar is." Ji nodded and walked through some bushes. Zuko went the other way, and then heard a muffled yelp. He went the way Ji had come, and found something very interesting.

The Shadow, a _thief_, was holding a knife to Ji's throat. Zuko took a step forward, and she snapped, "Don't even try it Fire Nation boy! Or this guy's going to get it!"

Zuko couldn't move, he hated unnecessary killing, so said slowly and calmly, well calmly for him, "Alright Shadow, you've had you fun, now let him go. We don't have any money right now." This wasn't a lie; the money was on the ship.

She growled and said, "I don't want money, besides, as soon as I let him go, you'll try to capture me! You can't trust Fire Nation!"

"We won't try to catch you," Zuko lied. The Shadow laughed, "Right, next you're going to tell me that my best friend wasn't destroyed by the Fire Lord!"

"Who was your friend?" Zuko asked, inching forward, The Shadow didn't notice. She spat, "No one you'd know. He's been gone two years."

"Really?" Zuko tried to sound interested, just a few more feet to go; "What did he do?"

She shrugged, "I wasn't there, but everyone here heard about it! Some Fire Nation official was bragging about it."

"How interesting," Zuko said, and then he hit her. She staggered back, and glared at him, and he said to Ji, "I'm going to finish this, go back to the ships, that's an order!"

Ji did as he was told, and Zuko turned to face the thief, "Now, who was your friend again?"

"No one you would know, he's gone!" she snapped in a blind fury, and shot a rock at him.

'Earthbender,' he thought as he blasted it with fire, 'but her style is strange. It's closer to firebending!'

He swung a blast at her feet, to catch her off balance, but she was faster and jumped it. She sent another rock at him, but the attack was weak and he incinerated the rock. The Shadow backed up against a cliff; then Zuko realized that this was what she had been planning all along. She stuck the wall, and rocks tumbled down upon then.


	3. Chapter 3

Yeah, yeah, don't owm avatart, but Canoi, and Zong in a later cahp are my ideas. Canoi's name comes from Kanoi, the original name of Lothor from PowerRangersNinjaStorm.

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3

Zuko shoved a rock aside, The Shadow had brought the entire cliff down on their heads, but he wasn't out yet. Zuko growled as he saw the thief jump a few rocks, and run out of sight. He was about to go after her, but something caught his eye. A dark green headband with a red gem in the middle.

'No way,' he thought, 'there is no possible way. She can't have been here...could she?"

As he was contemplating the headband, he was something else. A wanted poster for the Blue Spirit, for him. Scrawled on the bottom was 'Awesome' in an untidy hand.

'Well, maybe I can use that,' he thought.

----

"Too close," panted Canoi, 'That was way too close Kauri. I'm in trouble now, they got my headband and something with my handwriting, I've got to go."

Kauri rolled her eyes, "I doubt the Fire Nation would concern itself with a single earthbender my dear, so I highly doubt that you would be hunted down. It's not like you're a thief or anything."

"Yeah, nothing like that," mumbled Canoi. Kailua nodded and began to hum to herself.

A man at the end of the bar said, "Girl, if you're leaving, I recommend you stay away from Tosco, the town just south of here. Not only was the avatar heading there, which would attract the Fire Nation, but rumor is that a rich warlord has taken residence there. Commander Khan, I'm told. A bad place to travel for an earthbender."

"Canoi nodded, "Thank you," and thought, "good, a heist; that should take my mind off things.'

----

"Helmsman! Head south to Tosco, the avatar was spotted going there!" Zuko shouted.

Ji walked up and asked, "Sir, what about The Shadow? Are we going to let her get away?'

"Oh, I have a feeling we'll see her again," Zuko said simply. Ji stared at the teen-in-charge, and then went up to the navigation station of the deck to chart a course.


	4. Chapter 4

Don't own avatar. nuff said.

4

The Shadow crept silently through the fortress, pleased with her plan. The treasure room was well guarded, but the weapon room was not. And it just so happened that The Shadow needed a sheath for her sword and new throwing stars.

'Hmm, this fits nicely,' she thought, 'I can pull the sword out quickly, but it's not so loose that it could fall out. And these throwing stars are even better than my old ones!'

"Well hello," she heard a voice from the doorway. The Shadow spun around and saw someone she never would have expected.

"Blue Spirit," she breathed.

The ninja smirked beneath his mask, "Well, The Shadow, according to your wanted posters you've racked up a lot of crimes. A reward of two thousand gold pieces. No pardon available except by Fire Nation royalty."

"Two years ago that would not have been a problem," she muttered. Suddenly, a horn's blast filled the air. She glanced at the Blue Spirit, "Care to continue this conversation later?"

A dozen guards burst into the room, and the Blue Spirit pulled out his Dao swords, and The Shadow whipped out her single samurai blade. Both easily cut through the ranks, and were soon outside in dense forest.

The Blue Spirit panted, "Good job, Canoi. By the way, is this yours?" He held up a green headband with a red gem in the middle.

"How do you know my name...and how do you know that's mine?"

"Simple Canoi, I gave it to you."

The Shadow stumbled backwards. "Zuko?" she asked softly, "How, that Agni Kai..."

"Why did you say I was destroyed?" the Blue Spirit demanded. The Shadow stumbled backward and stuttered, "I thought you were gone! I knew you'd never be the same, and you're not, are you?"

"I'll admit Canoi, some things have changed," he muttered, and his hand brushed the left side of his mask.

The Shadow nodded, "Yeah, the 'leave your mark' thing, he left it... oh my gosh! That was you I dumped the cliff on?"

"True, you've been practicing." said the Blue Spirit as he slid off his mask. The Shadow's eyes widened at the sight if his scar. Zuko smiled tightly, "Different to look at isn't it?"

"Why did you follow me?" she asked, removing the cloth, revealing her young features. Zuko folded his arms, "I can't return home until I complete a little...mission, and I could complete it faster with your help."

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Here we go! They're going to actually be togther, no more wondering!


	5. Chapter 5

Don't own avatar. yada-yada-yada.

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5

"So you need to catch the avatar," Canoi muttered. Zuko nodded, and she said, "But what do I get out of this, besides getting to be with my friend?"

"Well, if I get to go home, I'm truly a royal again. And if I'm not mistaken, only a royal can pardon you," Zuko said, he didn't even glance at her.

"Fair enough. Tell me, who is the avatar? I haven't seen any wanted posters around here."

Zuko turned and looked at her, "From what I know, it would bring the people here hope, and would encourage them to fight back."

"And lose their lives," muttered Canoi. She knew much of the Fire Nation, and could easily look from its viewpoint, she just rarely chose to. Out of the blue, a man in armor ran up.

"Lieutenant Ji!" exclaimed Zuko, "did I not tell the entire crew to wait on the ship?"

"Admiral Zhou, wishes to speak with you," he panted, "who's she?"

"An old friend of mine, she is helping us, her name is Canoi, give her respect," Zuko said curtly, and walked faster towards his ship.

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"Hello Zuko," said Zhou as he paced the deck, "Where were you last night? Apparently you missed music night."

"I was looking for my friend to help me, "Zuko said, his eyes following the admiral like a hawk's, "And as you can clearly see, here she is."

"Canoi," said Zhou in fake pleasantry, "I wondered where you ran of to after you left the Fire Nation." Canoi stood stone still, not trusting her tongue enough to speak. Out of the blue, again, Zhou grabbed her wrists.

"Let her go," Zuko said firmly. Zhou smirked, "She's an earthbender; therefore, she should be imprisoned!"

"This is my ship Zhou, I make the rules!" Zuko snapped. However, Zuko did not have to do anything else, for Canoi kicked Zhou in the stomach, just below the armor. The admiral let go, and she scampered behind Zuko. Zhou glared at them, and left the ship.

Zuko then realized that the entire crew was staring.

"Don't you have some work to do?" he bellowed, and then turned to his uncle, "Uncle Iroh, can you show Canoi a spare room?"

"Of course nephew," Iroh said, and led Canoi off.

----

"So, my nephew has talked you into helping him?" asked Iroh. Canoi nodded. Iroh said, "Ah, well, your conscience seems clear on the matter, but maybe your heart also had something to doe with this?"

"Sir?"

"Please, call me Uncle Iroh, just about everyone does."

"Uncle Iroh, if you are insinuating that I'm doing this because I'm in love with your nephew, then you're wrong. I'm simply helping him get back home." In the back of her mind she thought, 'And getting myself a pardon.'


	6. Chapter 6

I don't on avatar.

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6

Most of the crew was rather surprised in the fact that Zuko and Canoi did not seem to like each other in the romantic sense. Indeed, Canoi was rarely around him, the only times they left were when they went looking for the avatar alone together. However, one thing puzzled Iroh, in nearly every port that they stopped at and where Zuko and Canoi went looking for the avatar, there was a heist pulled off by the latest thief duo, The Shadow and the Blue Spirit.

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While Zuko and Canoi were rather indifferent towards each other, The Shadow and the Blue Spirit were definitely in love. Often, just after a heist, the Blue Spirit would slightly lift his mask, and the Shadow would lower the cloth around her mouth, and they would kiss.

The heists weren't stealing, per say, they were more often the freeing of prisoners. During the day, Zuko and Canoi would look back and wonder why they had pulled the heist, but they continued to anyway.

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"I want to know, what is the pattern!" demanded Admiral Zhou, "Who are these two masked thieves!"

Just then a small guard came in, "Well, sir, I might, um, have something here sir."

"Tell me!"

"Well, um, I noticed that every town where these thieves have struck is always where Prince Zuko's ship has just docked."

"Very good Zong. Or, should I say, Lieutenant Zong."

Zong bowed, "Sir, this is such and honor, being, well, a lieutenant, thank you sir!"

"Oh, no," said Zhou, and folded his hands behind his back, "Thank you."

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"What the heck are we doing here?" asked the Blue Spirit. The Shadow glanced at him, "Simple, Spirit, We're collecting you're buddy Zhou's leads on the avatar. Duh."

"Shadow, you had better be right," he muttered. Just then, Zong walked by, talking to a fellow firebender, "Yep, I figured out the pattern in the heists, Zhou seemed pleased. I can't wait to tell my cousin!"

The Blue Spirit's eyes widened and he tugged The Shadow back, "We'd better skip this. Zhou knows."

----

The fact that Admiral Zhou now had a good guess of their identities did not deter the Shadow and Blue Spirit for long, though. After all, they were cocky, they were teens, and they were in desperate want of leads on the avatar. But this would inevitably lead to a mistake...


	7. Chapter 7

Yeah yeah, i don't own avatar, like you don't know that already...

7

Blue Spirit didn't know how it happened. One minute he had been picking a lock, The Shadow muttering about how he was being too slow, and the next they were surrounded by soilders. Shadow chuckled, "Hi guys, uh we're just inspecting this lock! Yep! No even the greatest thief in the world could get through! Nope!"

Zhou strode forward, "Well, let us see if I am right on your identities! Zuko...and Canoi!" He yanked off the masks.

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Zuko and Canoi wiggled against the chains. Okay, Canoi wiggled, Zuko all out yanked. They heard a chuckle.

"You know, I could just give you the key."

Zuko blinked, "Ji? What are you doing here?"

Ji smirked, "Can't let the heir to the throne get locked up, can I? My cousin, _Lieutenant_ Zong, couldn't stop telling me in a letter. How he addressed it while forgetting that I'm on _your_ ship is beyond me."

"That's nice," Canoi said, "Now can you let Zuko out?"

"What about you?" Zuko asked. Canoi grinned.

"You know, while you and Jay-"

"Ji."

"Whatever. Anyway, I remembered that if I unfurl my fists, and hold my hand thumb to little finger, I can slip out!"

Zuko groaned, "You are just realizing this now! ARGH!" Zuko gave and exasperated sigh, "Look, Ji, head back to the ship, tell uncle to do as he sees fit. Canoi and I are getting out of here, and not getting any of you in trouble."

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Canoi kept looking at the ground, pretending to be doing some bending practice. Like she could in the dark. They had run, and finally stopped to set up camp, except Zuko wouldn't make a fire. Apparently it would be like a signal.

She wanted to kill Zhou for ruining their fun. There was a reason that it was the thieves, not them, that were in love. It wasn't just that he was a prince and she was the daughter of some guy who gave the Fire Nation a ton of money so she'd be okay, making her basically a peasant, though that was a factor. It also had to do with the fact that they were both benders of different elements. And even though earth and fire could work together, they made lava by the way; it would be bad if the heir to the Fire Nation throne was an earthbender. Not a bender at all would be even better. If Zuko was the prince of a region, not a nation, then it'd be fine, if Canoi wasn't an earthbender it'd be fine. But it wasn't.

And now, it never would be again.


	8. Chapter 8

What are you readin this for? You know that I don't own Avatar! Oh, and while this little scene is going on, so is the siegie of the North, just so ya know.

8

"I can not believe that you tried to slit a soldier's wallet!" Zuko yelled as he jumped over a fallen log. Canoi blushed, zigzagging through some trees. Suddenly they were at the edge of a canyon. Zuko didn't notice though, and kept running, until he noticed that his feet no longer had anything to run on.

Canoi blinked as her friend tumbled down the cliff, and then a nanosecond later remembered that she was an earthbender. She jumped down, making herself go vertical so she'd catch up, then softened the ground as they both hit. Zuko still banged his head on a rock though. Canoi groaned; it was bad enough that he was out cold, but did it have to be now, of all times?

She shoved him into an indent in the canyon wall, hopped in herself, and then sealed ninety percent of the entrance, just as the soldiers slid down the cliff face. She didn't totally shut it because they needed to breathe, but you still couldn't see in.

Canoi flipped Zuko over, and tried to check his vitals, but it was hard in the dim light. The good news? He wasn't dead. The bad? He was still out.

----

Zuko woke up and stretched, but he kicked something. Make that someone. He blinked in the darkness, and then whipped up a flame. He immediately yanked it towards his chest, if it was been an inch further it would have hit Canoi. And she was way too cute to be hit by a fireball…

Zuko blinked, where had that come from? He shook his head to dislodge any similar thoughts, and then shook Canoi awake.

"Five more-" she started, but Zuko cut her off.

"No. Now."

Canoi mumbled something else and rolled over. Zuko snapped, "Oh, to Agni with it!" He slumped against the rock wall, how were they supposed to get out of trouble if she wouldn't wake up, not that removing themselves from dilemmas had been an issue awhile ago……

**Flashback**

"Where are you idiots!" screamed a much ticked eleven-year-old Zula. Zuko and Canoi cowered behind a column, scared to death of what would happen if the firebending prodigy found them. As they snuck towards Zuko's room, Canoi yawned and started to lean on Zuko as they walked. As soon as they reached his room, Zuko promptly grabbed a bucked of water and doused her. Needless to say, the wake up call was unappreciated, but at least Zula had no proof of then slipping a lizard down her back.

**End of Flashback**

Zuko gave a thin smile, no wonder he liked her. He mentally slapped himself, he meant like in a friend way, not like-like! Right?

Right?


End file.
